Bell leads resurgence

Hawks blister Calgary with 4 unanswered goals

Blackhawks 5, Flames 2

CALGARY — Penguins rookie Sidney Crosby and the Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin have dominated the headlines and dwarfed the attention given to the other first-year players.

But in western Canada a 20-year-old rookie is opening eyes and drawing comparisons with some of the great recent defensemen in the league such as Scott Stevens, Chris Pronger and Chris Chelios.

In the eyes of Calgary coach Darryl Sutter, prized rookie Dion Phaneuf is "the best 20-year-old defenseman I've ever been associated with."

The Blackhawks had a look firsthand Friday. It went better than anyone on the Hawks could have expected.

After spotting the Flames a 2-1 lead, the Blackhawks exploded for four unanswered goals in a stunning 5-2 victory over one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Mark Bell keyed a three-goal second period, scoring twice, the first goal tying the game at the 8:39 mark while on the power play. Less than two minutes later, Matthew Barnaby gave the Hawks the lead for good, and Bell scored again with a bit more than a minute to play in the period.

Mark Cullen scored his second goal of the night with under three minutes to play in the game to finish the scoring. Hawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin had 30 saves.

Phaneuf, a 6-foot-2-inch, 205-pound mix of talent, intensity and nastiness is in the mold of a young Chelios. Early in the first period Friday, he stole the puck at the Hawks' blue line and knocked Adrian Aucoin aside like a rag doll before firing a shot on goal.

Many already are predicting at least one Norris Trophy for the Edmonton native whom the Flames selected ninth overall in the 2003 entry draft.

Five picks after Calgary took Phaneuf, the Hawks selected Brent Seabrook, who also played in the Western Hockey League at Lethbridge and is making his mark as a 20-year-old rookie defenseman getting steady ice time.

Sutter said that while Phaneuf was the total package when he was drafted, Seabrook has improved since the Hawks selected him 14th.

"When you look at that draft, Brent wasn't in the top three defensemen [in the draft]," Sutter said. "As a 19-year-old last year, he really improved."

Although they are the same age and play the same position, there are differences to their games. Seabrook is steady, if not spectacular, on defense and one of the Hawks' top offensive defensemen.

Phaneuf is more physical and also contributes offensively. Of his five goals, four have come on the power play.

He also is willing to challenge anyone--he got the better of Dallas' Bill Guerin earlier in the year.

"He looks like he has played 10 years in the league," said Roman Hamrlik, Phaneuf's defensive partner.